In the blink of Yowan's eye, the shout that turned his world upside-down happened. He got out with his armor and his sword to see their settlement under attack as flames spat out from every direction.
The Orcs ambushed!
Monsters that were greenish in color, giants that double the human's height. Tusks that overlap their teeth and eyes that are as red as blood.
He saw as his comrades shredded to death and with little experience, he was overwhelmed with fear. Yet his sense to serve the kingdom did not falter him and without a thought, he attacked an Orc.
"You monster!"
He shouted with both of his hands holding its sword. Not knowing any technique, he attacked mindlessly.
A slash to the left. A slash to the right, yet the Orc just dodged all of them easily.
"Like usual, this guys are jokes"
"Ehh?"
Yowan's eyes dilated as he saw his left arm flying out of his body. He stopped as he dropped his sword.
"AAAHHHHHHHH!!!"
Yowan kneeled at the pain of his missing arm. His once motivation to fight disappeared in a single swipe of the Orc's attack. He didn't even have any weapon, yet his hand that has nails as sharp as swords.
"Arrghhh, it hurts!"
"Humans are weak. Thankful for offering."
"... Offering?"
"I should not said that. You die, now."
Fear has already overwhelmed his thoughts as the Orc walked closer and closer and the only thing Yowan can do is to run. He grabbed snow and threw it to the Orc's face, blinding him for a second.
"I need to run!"
Yowan panicked as he tried his best to run without being seen by other Orcs. Thankfully, he was close to the woods and ran through there.
"George... Is he okay?"
He muttered as he shook his head and continued to run.
"No, I need to survive for now."
He ran and ran until he found a boulder to hide behind. He watched his breath as he looked at his wound.
His eyes squinted and tears started to fall out as the sight of his left arm flying traumatized him. He bit his lips as he ripped one of his clothes to cover his wound.
"Grrgghhhh!"
The pain of a slight touch was already sufferable and after a while, he finally covered it. He was sweating so hard that not even the snow can turn all of it to ice right away.
"I need to go back—"
He muttered as he took a peak on the boulder as he saw an Orc that was looking back at him, squatting like he was waiting for Yowan to look back.
"Hello, little human."
Yowan's eyes shook as his mind told him to run. He stood up and picked up his pace but the Orc was able to grab his hand and catapulted him at a distance, destroying thin trees with his body.
He fell down the cushiony snow as he spurted blood. He felt like one of his ribs just broke but thankfully, not his spine.
He tried to stand up to see the shadow of the Orc getting closer and the tint of red-eyes that gave fear on his way overlapped his massive figure.
"Eeeekk!"
Yowan screeched as he crouched and stood up once more, but this time, he could barely move his left leg because of the bruises that appeared.
At the distance, he saw a hill that went upwards and climbed. He looked back to see the Orc just walking, completely underestimating Yowan and his damaged body.
Busy looking at the Orc that got closer, he stepped on the ground to feel nothing and when he looked back, it was too late. He was over a cliff as he misstepped and continued to run towards a ground with no dirt but air.
"Shit!"
Yowan said as he completely fell down the cliff. Hitting the ground with his body as he fell like a ragdoll who has no full control over his entire being. He rolled and hit on various stones until he landed on the ground below.
In the Orc's view, he wasn't moving, and by that height, he thought the human was as good as dead. He could see that the cliff has various stones sticking out and blood splattered on those ground that belonged to the human.
"Sad. He dead. No food."
The Orc muttered as he turned around and left back to the woods.
Back to Yowan.
He was alive but he was barely breathing. The wounds that the fall produced was critical, and laying on cold snow sent shivers towards his body. He tried to stand up and was barely kept his balance.
But he was still alive, meaning that he could still go back to the settlement to see if someone survived. However, his body could no longer take the damage and he sat on a thin tree to lay down.
He was in denial of all the things that happened. He was angry at himself and the kingdom's decision to attack. Yet, somehow he still wanted to live and he begged and shouted if someone was there.
He thought he was finally gonna die. He was gonna accept his death anyway, yet, someone answered.
[Do you want thy life to be saved?]
His body regenerated through some sort of magic and he was asked to walk through a certain location. A place the voice gave him.
After a long walk, he finally arrived at the location. A place just below a hill and the entrance that was covered by a giant boulder, just like what the voice gave Yowan. It was also said that there was a secret lever hidden by snow.
Thanks to the impossible weather, no one would think there was a secret room waiting to be entered.
Yowan walked towards the location of the lever, wiped some snow to see a small stone door that can be slid through sideways to reveal the lever. Yowan pulled it as the stone that covered the entrance, moved.
A gate that was a little smaller than the boulder showed itself. With metal fortifications and a wooden base, it opened itself as torched lit themselves.
"So this is the place."